1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a solder- or metal-based hermetic sealing system for glass plates useful in solar cells based on silicon, organic systems, and thin layer solar cells as well as other electronic devices such as organic LEDs (OLED).
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional formation of hermetic seals involves printing and firing a paste composition including a glass frit and organic solvent/binder system. Drawbacks of such systems include the need to fire at extremely high temperatures, e.g., 800° C., and the problem of entrapment of organic residue and incomplete burnout of the binder system (such as ethyl cellulose) within the hermetic seal. Such entrapment causes undesired contamination of active layers sealed within the hermetic seal, such as solar cells or OLEDs.
Accordingly, improvements in the art of hermetic sealing are required.